Drapery master carrier

ABSTRACT

A drapery cord actuated slide member is translatably mounted on a drapery rod and carries a vertical plate having its outer surface covered with an adhesive or other bonding agent, such as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;Velcro,&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; to engage and support the leading upper corner portion of a drape. By attaching the leading upper corner portion of the drape to the plate, the corner of the drape is provided with firm backing over a substantial area and drooping is obviated. Optionally, the slide member can be made bilaterally symmetrical and connected to the drape supporting plate by an adapter which enables the device to operate either as a righthand or a left-hand master carrier.

United States Patent Malies [451 May 23, 1972 54 DRAPERY MASTER CARRIER FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor: Aflhur Malies, 4909 Ensle Road, (381- 1,577,827 6/1969 France 160/330 michael, Calif. 95608 22 Filed: on. 23, 1970 Primary Examiner-B0bby y Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner [21] Appl. No.: 83,409 Atmmey Lothrop &West

[52] US. Cl ..16/87.2, l6/87.4, 16/87.6 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. ..A47h 13/00 581 Field of Search ..16/87.2, 87.4, 87.6, 87.8, A drapery actuated sllde translaa?ly 'P 16/93 D, 9 D, 95 D, 96 D; 160/344, 345, 346, 126, 011 a drapery rod and carries a vertical plate having its outer 348, 349, 330 surface covered with an adhesive or other bonding agent, such as Velcro, to engage and support the leading upper corner [56] References Cited portion of a drape. By attaching the leading upper comer portion of the drape to the plate, the corner of the drape is pro- UNITED STATES PATENTS vided with firm backing over a substantial area and drooping is 3,040,373 6/1962 Graber et al ..160/126 X obviated. Optionally, the slide member can be made bi- 3,354,498 11/1967 Salzmann laterally symmetrical and connected to the drape supporting 3 3 6/1966 Kawczynski plate by an adapter which enables the device to operate either 3,338,291 Kitner as a ight-hand or a lefphand master arrie 3,196,511 7/1965 Kitner..... 2,104,261 1/1938 Landau ..16/87.4 R 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented, May 23, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v I INVENTOR. ARTHUR M. MAL/ES BY ZIIIIA V A in UM ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ARTHUR M. MAL/ES coflxwp f (4)141" AT TORNE rs DRAPERY MASTER CIER The invention relates to improvements in drapery master carriers.

Drapes are opened and closed by the movement of members slidably mounted on a drapery rod and actuated by cords. The pleated upper corner portion of the leading, movable edge of the drape is attached to the slide member and as the slide member is translated, the leading portion of the drape is carried with it, the balance of the drape following the lead of the upper corner portion. Such slide members are ordinarily termed master carriers, and where two drape halves are actuated in unison there are customarily two master carriers. Heretofore, the two master carriers have been constructed in an opposed and offset relation so that the adjacent upper comer edges of the drapes overlap rather than abut. This has required that the drapery installer stock and use two different carriers, one right-hand and one left-hand.

Furthermore, it has heretofore been customary to secure the portion of the drape attached to the underlying master carrier by hooks or pins of various kinds. Not only does this arrangement make it difficult for an installer to get the drapes level, but in time the uppermost corner portion of a drape which is fastened only by a hook or a pin to the master carrier tends to droop and assume an unsightly appearance.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a drapery master carrier which firmly supports the portion of the drape to which it is secured.

It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a master carrier which facilitates the hanging of drapes in a uniform, level fashion.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a master carrier which is economical, yet reliable and long-lasting.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a master carrier which serves either as a right-hand or a left-hand carrier.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a generally improved master carrier.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are described in i the following description and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front perspective view showing, in exploded fashion, a drape supporting plate preparatory. to being installed on a conventional, left-hand master carrier;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of FIG. 1, showing the relative location of the plate and the upper, lead ing corner portion of a drape adhesively secured thereto;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a carrier slide member and an adapter installed on a drapery rod and made fast to a drapery pull cord;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 4, and showing two positions of the adapter and drapery supporting plate, to illustrate how the device is able to serve either in a right or left hand capacity; and,

FIG. 6 is an exploded front perspective view showing the manner of attachment of the slide member to the adapter.

While the master carrier of the invention is susceptible of numerous different embodiments, depending upon the environment and requirements of use, substantial numbers of the herein shown and described embodiments have been made, tested and used, and all have performed in an eminently satisfactory fashion.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a form of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, wherein a stylized conventional form of drapery carrier 13 includes an elongated mounting element 14 having an outwardly facing front surface 16. A horizontal connecting strip 117 extends inwardly from the mounting element 14 to a vertical rear strip 18 carrying track members 19 of a low-friction material, such as Teflon," in sliding engagement with a conventional drapery rod 21.

Heretofore, the adjacent portion of the overlying drapery material 20 has been secured to the carrier 13, as by the usual drapery hooks (not shown), one end of the hooks impaling the fabric and the other end inserted through the customary openings 22 in the mounting element 14.

As previously indicated, drapery hooks are difficult to locate accurately, with the result that leveling of the drapes has been time consuming. Furthermore, no matter how durable the cloth fabric (or other material) from which the drapes I are made, the unsupported portions of the drape in the vicinity of the master carrier hooks become dog-cared, in the sense that they droop over, especially in the upper corner area, and become unsightly.

Accordingly, I eliminate the use of drapery hooks as supporting elements for the master carrier. Instead, I utilize a drape supporting plate 31 of a substantial size, for example 2 by 4 inches. The plate can be of any material, such as sheet metal or plastic, and is preferably elongated horizontally, as appears most clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, so as to span a pair of elongated apertures 33 in the mounting element 14.

An aligned pair of lower slots 34 in the plate 31 receives appropriate fasteners, such as bolts 36, which also extend throughout the apertures 33, as indicated, the plate 31 being The portion 20 of the drape 40 is affixed to the underlying.

plate 31 by a layer of suitable adhesive 41, preferably of the pressure sensitive type. If desired, the plate 31 can be coated with adhesive at the time of manufacture and the adhesive film covered by protective paper 43 (see FIG. 3) which is peeled off at the time of use so as to expose the adhesive. As a further. convenience, adhesive and removable protective paper can be applied to both sides of the plate, if desired.

In the alternative, an attaching agent, such as Velcro or the like, can be utilized.

FIGS. 4 through 6 illustrate a master carrier 51 which not only incorporates the concept of the supporting plate member 31, previously described in detail in connection with a conventional drapery carrier 13, but which also can be made to serve either as a right-hand master carrier or a left-hand master carrler.

In this form of master carrier, a slide member 53 is L-shaped in transverse section and includes a vertical rear panel 54 carrying a pair of conventional, low-friction, track blocks 56in slidable engagement with the slotted rear wall 57 of a drapery rod 58. A tab 59 protruding rearwardly from the rear face of i the vertical panel 54 curves downwardly to embrace a portion 61 of drapery cord 62 projecting exteriorly of the longitudinal hollow channel within the drapery rod 58 through a pair of apertures 63 formed in the top edge of the rear panel 54.

Extending outwardly from the bottom of the vertical rear panel 54 is a horizontal panel 66 having formed therein at least one elongated positioning slot 67.

In order to position the coated plate 31 inwardly and outwardly in a selective manner so as to avoid abutment between adjacent master carriers when the drapes are closed, I provide an adapter member 71 having a horizontal central leg 72 formed with a positioning slot 73 to cooperate with the positioning slot 67 in the horizontal panel 66 of the slide member 53 in receiving fasteners, such as bolts 76 and nuts 77. The adapter 71 also includes a vertical outer leg 80 with openings 81.

By positioning one of the master carrier adapters 71 inwardly, as appears in solid line in FIG. 5, and the other master carrier adapter outwardly, as shown in broken line in FIG. 5, the drapes on the two adjacent master carriers suitably overlap when they are drawn together. Additional adjustment capabilities are afforded by being able to slide the drape supporting plate 31 endwise, as in FIG. 4, and tightening the fasteners 79 (see FIG. 5) disposed in the openings 81 in vertical leg 80, the fasteners 79 also passing through lower slots 34, for example, in the drape supporting plate 31.

As appears most clearly in FIG. 4, the longitudinal displacement of the plate 31 in the right-hand direction shown provides, in effect, a right-hand master carrier when viewed in front elevation. A similar but opposite displacement could be effected so as to provide a corresponding left-hand master carrier. Then, by adjusting one of the adapters and plates to the solid line position in FIG. 5 and the other adapter and plate to the broken line position in FIG. 5, a compatible overlapping arrangement is effected without the necessity of carrying and matching the required pairs of oppositely oriented carriers.

It can therefore be seen that l have not only provided a drapery master carrier which positively maintains the overlying pleated portion 91 in a firm, upright attitude, but which also can be readily arranged to serve either in a right-hand or a left-hand capacity.

What is claimed is:

l. A drapery master carrier comprising:

a. a slide member mounted for cord-operated horizontal translation on a drapery rod, said slide member comprising a bracket member having a vertical portion in slidable engagement with the drapery rod, and a horizontal portion extending outwardly away from the drapery rod;

b. a drape supporting plate vertically mounted on said slide member, said plate including a first surface facing inwardly toward said slide member, and a second surface facing outwardly away from said slide member and toward the adjacent portion of a drape;

c. a bonding agent located at least on said second surface for engagement with said adjacent drape portion; and,

d. an L-shaped adapter having a horizontal, inwardly extending leg for adjustable mounting engagement with said horizontal portion of said bracket, and a vertical leg for adjustable mounting engagement with said drape supporting plate.

2. A drapery master carrier as in claim 1 further including fasteners passing through registering slots in said horizontal leg of said adapter and said horizontal portion of said bracket and through registering slots in said vertical leg of said adapter and in said drape supporting plate. 

1. A drapery master carrier comprising: a. a slide member mounted for cord-operated horizontal translation on a drapery rod, said slide member comprising a bracket member having a vertical portion in slidable engagement with the drapery rod, and a horizontal portion extending outwardly away from the drapery rod; b. a drape supporting plate vertically mounted on said slide member, said plate including a first surface facing inwardly toward said slide member, and a second surface facing outwardly away from said slide member and toward the adjacent portion of a drape; c. a bonding agent located at least on said second surface for engagement with said adjacent drape portion; and, d. an L-shaped adapter having a horizontal, inwardly extending leg for adjustable mounting engagement with said horizontal portion of said bracket, and a vertical leg for adjustable mounting engagement with said drape supporting plate.
 2. A drapery master carrier as in claim 1 further including fasteners passing through registering slots in said horizontal leg of said adapter and said horizontal portion of said bracket and through registering slots in said vertical leg of said adapter and in said drape supporting plate. 